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A review by ph_read_be
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was pure joy. I too have a strong relationship with food that I built with my Gran, and this took me back to so many childhood memories. I thinI a lot of people froI many cultures can relate to these experienceI, especially those of us from working class backgrounds who relied on extended family growingIup. I really enjoyed the glimpse into Emoni's family dynamics and culture and how Acevedo ran so much of the story through Emoni's love of food.
I have not previously read any of Acevedo's work, and as someone who has never connected with poetry, I was not expecting to enjoy Acevedo's poetic writing style, and I will definitely look into her other novels that are written in verse.
The characters developed throughout this novel were highly sympathetic, and I'm sure most of us can relate to having a sense of fear regarding life post school, although Emoni's specific situation includes more challenges than most! Acevedo expertly built these characters so each one feels like a whole person with their own motivations and I felt real fury and defensiveness for Emoni when she interacts with her ex's mum regarding her baby.
Overall, I was left with a real feeling of love for these characters and honestly hope Emoni gets to reach all of her goals in life! A must read for anyone who is feeling a bit down and listless due to current world events.
I have not previously read any of Acevedo's work, and as someone who has never connected with poetry, I was not expecting to enjoy Acevedo's poetic writing style, and I will definitely look into her other novels that are written in verse.
The characters developed throughout this novel were highly sympathetic, and I'm sure most of us can relate to having a sense of fear regarding life post school, although Emoni's specific situation includes more challenges than most! Acevedo expertly built these characters so each one feels like a whole person with their own motivations and I felt real fury and defensiveness for Emoni when she interacts with her ex's mum regarding her baby.
Overall, I was left with a real feeling of love for these characters and honestly hope Emoni gets to reach all of her goals in life! A must read for anyone who is feeling a bit down and listless due to current world events.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism